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Oak Park Creates

We are committed to promoting the growth of diverse, quality content in library collections. Read more about the Our Voices pledge.

Are you a local author? A musician who just recorded some songs? A filmmaker working on a new project? Oak Park Creates is your opportunity to share your work—your book, your music, your movie—and have it become an item in a unique and growing “local creators” collection. Anyone with direct ties to Oak Park—including current and former residents and those who work or attend school here—can submit materials for consideration to include in the collection.

Creators can share any physical format such as books, discs (DVD, Blu-ray, CD, LP), and other self-contained objects that can be stickered and labeled for loan. As with other items in the SWAN catalog, the library becomes the owner of all items shared.

As part of the Oak Park Creates collection, your work becomes accessible to everyone with a library card in the SWAN network, about 1 million people. Material may be borrowed for three weeks with no special restrictions. Currently, Oak Park Creates items live in the Main Library Lobby, which has an average of 60,000 visits each month. To learn more, email Collection Management Librarian Eric Pasteur at epasteur@oppl.org.

Why Oak Park Creates?

By Eric Pasteur, Collection Management Librarian

In Oak Park, we are fortunate to live in a community that is home to many notable authors, filmmakers, musicians, and other artistic creators. Our rich cultural heritage fosters a spirit of creativity that spans generations and many creative avenues. The Oak Park Public Library takes great pride in working with our community to develop and share unique cultural activities through which we all can connect and learn about each other.

To that end, we are thrilled to host a new Main Library collection of books, movies, films, and other artistic works called "Oak Park Creates." Anyone with direct ties to Oak Park—including current and former residents and those who work or attend school here—can submit materials for consideration to include in the collection. Your library card allows you to borrow these donated works so you can experience firsthand what Oak Parkers are creating. To contribute, bring your work to any library location and share your contact information and a brief explanation of your ties to Oak Park.

Oak Park Creates recognizes the accomplishments of our community and acts as a point of inspiration for those who aspire to create. It supports and connects local creators, and strives to recognize our community’s creative present and develop its collective future.